Geneva’s iconic Clocktower Building listed for sale at $1.8M; contract pending

GENEVA – Downtown Geneva’s iconic Clocktower Building is under contract to be sold and the former Strawflower Shop retail owners are selling off furniture, carpeting and home decor.

The two-story 1910-built building at 210 W. State St. is 16,500 square feet, has a full basement and is listed for sale at $1.8 million. It has a sale contract pending, according to the listing agency Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group.

After 25 years in that location, owners Mike and Susan Haas are looking to move into its warehouse building across the alley from the building on South Second Street.

The couple changed the company name from Strawflower Shop to Geneva Design House in 2020.

“We have a lot of history in Geneva over the last 50 years,” Mike Haas said in a news release. “We’re looking forward to establishing this next chapter to make Geneva Design House an important part of the home interiors landscape in the western suburbs for many years to come.”

The Haases are closing out the store’s stock to have its future inventory fit a design warehouse of its brand.

Their daughter, Kelsey Haas, will be the general manager of the new warehouse store, according to the release.

“Our customer base loves what we offer and we will continue to serve them with exceptional interior design,” Kelsey Haas said in the release. “But we will also be evolving our offerings to feature items that will appeal to new families who are moving into the Fox Valley. As a millennial, I have a different design approach than my parents and together we’re excited to offer design options that have an even broader appeal.”

The business already had been moving in that direction for several years, Mike Haas said.

“It’s what we have been working toward with the name change that we began putting in place over three years ago,” Mike Haas said. “Elegant, high-quality furniture, rugs and décor that you can’t find other places. We think the time is right to push forward on this path.”

The business began as Everlasting Flowers in the 1970s, selling artificial floral arrangements, then moved to the 200 block of West State Street across from the Clocktower Building in 1985.

The Haases added fresh flowers and area rugs to their inventory, eventually spinning off the fresh flower business, which became Town & Country Gardens, 216 W. State St., next door to the building they are selling.

By 1998, the business was known as Strawflower Shop and they moved into the Clocktower Building when Landfield’s Furniture store closed, according to the release.

“They plan to move all their merchandise that they do not sell into the warehouse space behind the building,” company spokesman Stephan Perrault said. “Their plan is to move into that warehouse and sell out of there.”

Mike Haas was not immediately available for comment.

The Coldwell Banker real estate listing for the building describes it as “an unbeatable location in the middle of everything that downtown Geneva has to offer.”

The zoning allows for a mixed-use development including second-floor condos or apartments. Its roof was updated last year and qualifies for a 20-year warranty. The building has an elevator for all three levels – basement, first floor and second floor – and is fully sprinklered, according to the listing.

The building has historic interior finishes and original narrow plank hardwood flooring, tin ceilings and millwork, according to the listing.